Look what you can learn at the Everything Garden Expo

February 27, 2010 10:58:00 PM

The Second Annual Everything Garden Expo set for March 6-7 at the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville will offer participants a variety of educational opportunities, along with a wide variety of vendors.

Expo hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 6, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 7. Admission is $5 per person; children under 6 attend free.

The Expo is being presented by the Starkville Area Arts Council and Mississippi State University in cooperation with The Mississippi Extension Service, The Mississippi Horse Park, Starkville School District''s Family Centered Programs, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.

Speakers for the upcoming event are:

Saturday, March 6

8:45-9:45 a.m. -- Garden Grown Designs, with MSU University Florist manager and floral instructor Lynette McDougald, features the top 10 trees and shrubs for use in floral arrangements and information on plant material selections suitable for cut-flower gardens. McDougald was recognized in 2001 as the Mississippi Designer of the Year.

10-11 a.m. -- All About Growing Tomatoes, with Dr. Rick Snyder, professor and Extension specialist in Greenhouse Vegetables and Vegetable Crops at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, will cover when and how to plant, the best cultivars and common problems and solutions.

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. -- How to Grow Echinacea (Coneflower), with ornamental horticulture authority Dr. Gary Bachman, explores the current cultivars and offers a glimpse into Bachman''s coneflower breeding program at the Coastal Research and Extension Center where he is assistant Extension professor.

1-2 p.m.-- Plants from Grandmama''s Garden, with Dr. Lelia Kelly, associate Extension professor and consumer horticulture specialist, will provide information on heirloom roses, shrubs, flowers and vegetables and old-timey plants like those once found in our grandparents'' gardens.

2:15-3:15 p.m. -- Urban Community Forestry, with Dr. Stephan Grado, of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center and MSU''s College of Forestry, addresses issues relating to forests and economics, outdoor recreation, forest certification, eco-tourism, and urban and community forestry. Grado will offer information on how, when and where to plant trees in the home landscape.

12:30-1:30 p.m. -- Invasive Weeds, Cancer of the Landscape, with Dr. John Byrd, professor and Extension weed specialist at MSU, will focus on invasive weeds, weed management, turf and rights-of-way, and weed management in forage production systems and home landscapes.

1:45-2:45 p.m. -- Gardening 12 Months Out of the Year; Emphasis on Winter Gardening will be conducted by Jeff Fulton, owner of Yarbrough''s Garden Center in Louisville. Fulton supervised the development of the largest enclosed garden in the historic district of Savannah, Ga. and hosted "Secret Gardens of Savannah" on the Home and Garden channel.

3-4 p.m. -- Food from Your Backyard will be presented by author and gardening authority Nellie Neal. Known as "Garden Mama" on her weekly radio program, Neal offers practical advice to Southern gardeners.

Activities for children:

Saturday, March 6

8:45-9:45 a.m. and 10-11 a.m. -- In Flower Power, Starkville artist, gardener and teacher Nelle Elam shares her tricks on how to have fun with elements of design. This National, Mississippi and Disney Teacher of the Year tailors her talk for children 7-12.

2:15-3:15 p.m. -- In We''re Wild about Mississippi Wildlife, naturalist Andrea Schuhmann of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, invites children to learn about some of the amazing animals found in the state. This hands-on program for all ages encourages kids to become nature explorers.

Sunday, March 7

1:45-2:45 p.m. -- The Amazing Matskifosa (Matthew Douglas) will mesmerize children with his magic act. This lifelong magic enthusiast is a master''s student in the Experimental Psychology program at MSU, where he is involved in memory research.

For more information about the Everything Garden Expo, contact Jane Loveless at 662-320-9574, or visit www.starkvillearts.org and click the events link.